Liberal candidate looks to take Manitoba's northernmost riding after giving NDP MP 'a good run' in 2015

Ian Froese · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Rebecca Chartrand says she gave NDP campaigner Niki Ashton "a bully tally for her money" the past clip she ran successful Manitoba's northernmost riding, and the Liberal campaigner says she's present looking to bash it again.

Chartrand, the president and CEO of Indigenous Strategy, a absorption consulting company, is moving for the national Liberals in Churchill-Keewatinook Aski, the enactment confirmed precocious Tuesday.

She'll effort to unseat the NDP's Niki Ashton, who has won 5 consecutive elections successful the riding.

Ashton whitethorn person been considered a lock to triumph the spot again, but polls suggesting the NDP's popularity is sliding could constituent to an opening for the Liberals and Conservatives to earnestly situation the party's supremacy successful a riding the NDP has won 12 times successful the last 15 elections. 

"I spot that I person a accidental for sure. I deliberation I gave Niki Ashton a bully tally for her wealth the past clip I ran," Chartrand said, referring to the 2015 election, successful which she won 42 per cent of the votes formed (12,575 votes) to Ashon's 45 per cent (13,487 votes).

Ashton won the 2 consequent elections by astatine slightest 3,100 ballots.

'A spot astatine the table'

Chartrand, who is Anishinaabe, Inninew and Métis and from Treaty 4 territory, said Indigenous radical "need to person a spot astatine the table" successful a riding wherever 75 per cent of radical individuality arsenic Indigenous, according to the 2021 census.

"Niki Ashton is not Indigenous. And each things being equal, I deliberation it should beryllium based on the person's accomplishment and what they bring, but ideology besides requires change," said Chartrand.

"And truthful I deliberation it's important to bring successful immoderate caller ideas and to bring somebody into a presumption that's really going to beryllium successful a enactment that is going to govern this country."

Chartrand said the Liberals person wanted her to tally successful erstwhile elections, but she was engaged with her enactment and children. She felt compelled to tally this clip arsenic Canadians person galvanized around a "common enemy" successful U.S. President Donald Trump amid the ongoing commercialized war, she said.

"With the NDP and their [polling] numbers conscionable plummeting, a ballot for Niki Ashton would beryllium a wasted ballot and a precise captious 1 astatine this clip successful history."

CBC requested remark Tuesday nighttime from the NDP for this story.

The Conservatives person yet to denote a campaigner for the riding. 

Ashton has been a consistent advocate connected Parliament Hill astir Indigenous issues and the outgo of living.

She came nether occurrence past summertime erstwhile CBC News reported  she billed taxpayers for a trip she took to reportedly conscionable with "stakeholders" implicit the Christmas holidays successful Quebec — question that included bringing her hubby and kids along. She has since paid backmost immoderate of those expenses. 

In airy of the existent commercialized war, Chartrand said she considers bluish Manitoba a "national commercialized lifeline" the state tin nary longer ignore.

She says if elected she'll advance economic improvement opportunities successful the north, ranging from the railway to the Port of Churchill and the abundance of captious minerals.

"I don't deliberation we tin spot infrastructure successful the northbound arsenic a cost. I deliberation we request to spot it arsenic an concern for the remainder of Canada."

The national predetermination is slated for April 28.